NUPRC warns flare gas awardees over unutilised sites

By Onu Okorie

Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission NUPRC has warned beneficiaries of flare gas sites that their awards could be revoked if they fail to demonstrate meaningful progress in utilising the sites.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, gave the warning on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, during a working visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Gas, Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, in Abuja.
Eyesan, who presented an update on the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Programme NGFCP, said the Commission would assess the performance of awardees one year after an award was granted.
“One year after an award has been granted, the Commission conducts an evaluation to determine whether there has been considerable progress,” she said.
She added that where insufficient progress was recorded, the Commission would take appropriate regulatory measures, including revocation of the award where necessary.
According to her, despite initial resistance from some operators, the gas flare commercialisation programme has continued to make significant progress.
She disclosed that 43 flare gas sites were originally identified for award, with 27 sites so far successfully awarded and implementation efforts ongoing.
Eyesan said Nigeria’s vast gas resources provided a strong foundation for power generation, industrialisation, exports and broader economic development.
She noted that the country currently has more than 215 trillion cubic feet TCF of proven gas reserves, with an estimated total reserve base of about 600 TCF.
The NUPRC boss also highlighted progress in the implementation of the Host Community Development Trust framework established under the Petroleum Industry Act PIA.
She said the initiative was designed to address longstanding concerns in oil-producing communities and promote sustainable development through petroleum resources.
According to Eyesan, available data showed that implementation of the trusts had contributed to significant reductions in oil theft and oil spills while improving relations between operators and host communities.
She disclosed that 173 Host Community Development Trusts had so far been incorporated, 147 funded, with more than 1,001 projects ongoing and over 200 projects already commissioned across host communities.
In his remarks, Ekpo called for deliberate and aggressive implementation of the country’s gas commercialisation programme to enable Nigeria meet its 2030 target of eliminating routine gas flaring.
The minister said the objective should be to convert the country’s gas resources into critical products and services rather than allowing them to contribute to environmental pollution.
“The core objective is to add value to our gas resources by converting them into critical products and services. We must move away from environmental pollution and toward productive resource utilization,” Ekpo said.